Someone can brake his head wondering why neither Alfa Romeo nor any other company has revived cars of such extraordinary beauty and regretfully can think what has become of this brand. Did they ever build such cars? Answer. They did . Long time ago. In 1967, when the Montreal caused a sensation as a study at the World's Fair in Canada, Alfa Romeo was in full bloom, building thrilling on-road motorcars like no other star and race car that could win out the Le Mans.
Cars like the Giulia or like the Tipo 33/2, which drove away with their 270 hp two-liter V8 leaving behind even significantly stronger competitors. This engine, already enlarged for the road version 33 Stradale to 2.6-liter displacement and then tamed for the Montreal from 230 to 200 hp, accounts for much of the Montreal fascination. When the doors with unexpected severity were fallen into the lock and the small ignition key has brought the two gasoline pumps to bright buzzing life, was only taken a few seconds for the indicator light to signal enough fuel pressure. Now permission fire free - and rushing and hissing, not as an American-V8-, but singing peculiarly soft and willing and takes us back to the time when sideburns were bushy and pants had blown names: "Hit" for example or " Shake". And who ever wondered what wise old people mean by "frog attitude", is now smarter: The steering wheel with the beautiful wooden wreath is too shallow to cover it really comfortable in the upper third. But the legs are bent. But that becomes a minor matter when the Montreal is on the move. The V8 on the front, which some thought at the premiere in Montreal because of the supposed ventilation slots in the B-pillar as a mid-engine in the back of the driver proves to be a straightforward type - despite its descent from the racing engine. The 2.6-liter pulls from idle speed clean, puts at 4500 revolutions once again a shovel and continues with hot breath greedily. The five-speed gearbox from ZF with the first gear in the rear left can be switched quickly and precisely and supports the joy of revving with its short gear ratio. At high speed, this leads to speeds near the red, which in the long run is neither comfortable nor economical. Under 16 liters per 100 kilometers, even at a modest pace hardly anything, with dedicated driving it may already be 20 times. In this point, the Montreal is a typical child of the early 70s, as fuel cheap and the first oil crisis of 1973 was not foreseeable.
The suspension of the 1310 kg heavy, from some perspective, slightly chubby-looking coupe forms a stark contrast to the filigree V8, which is administered a mechanical spica injection juice for life. Because it comes in its fundamentals from the mid-size sedan Giulia. Therefore, the rear axle is not only rigid, but also stubborn on uneven slopes until transfer. The steering is not only difficult and indirect by today's standards. The biggest fun is this only 4.2 meter long 2 + 2-seater from the pen of Bertone chief designer Marcello Gandini (right, father of the Lancia Stratos and the Lamborghini icons Miura and Countach) therefore not in the Hatz over mountain and Valley, but with wiegendem, amazingly good suspension comfort on relaxed journeys on the long straights of a successful life.
And successful in the right profession, and therefore wealthy, had to be then as now, someone to love this coupe. With details such as its door handles or steering wheel levers, this celebrates the forgotten art of making components filigree and at the same time functional and aesthetic. On the other hand, it nourishes with confused instruments and its less maintenance-friendly design the image of the big litter with little overview.
The pitfalls of the object, so they lurk in many corners and in many difficult to reach angles. Even then, there were only a few workshops that could maintain and repair a sick Montreal. Today there are even fewer specialists who can adjust the mechanical injection or know that it is necessary to clean a tank screen and to change an oil filter for injection. The Montreal a diva? Yes, because it needs expert care and is expensive for maintenance and repairs. Well, then, when joined to the very understandable love for Alfa then you need just as much money in the wallet.
The Montreal learns to walk slower than others. In 1967, Alfa Romeo presents him as a study at the World Expo in Montreal on the subject of future automobiles. However, under the cover designed by Bertone designer Marcello Gandini, the technology of the Alfa Romeo Giulia with its four-cylinder front engine, built since 1962, is embedded. Because of the positive response Alfa Romeo decides to mass production and shows in the spring of 1970 at the Geneva Motor Show, the production car - now with the tamed V8 front engine of the 33 Stradale. By 1977, 3925 Montreal will be built, there are almost no model maintenance measures. After about 100 copies of the front spoiler comes into the series, the injection is optimized twice. The charismatic V8 and elegant design speak as much for the Montreal as the spaciousness and the superior driving feel. The body is susceptible to rust almost everywhere. The alpha and omega of prophylaxis is the regular control of drainage tubes. Once set, the injection works smoothly, but that requires tools that few experts have. Thermal overload can cause cracks in the cylinder heads. Specialists therefore optimize water pumps and cooling circuits. The filigree steering housing occasionally ruptures. Original parts are rare, but the Alfa Classic Center Dortmund and partners are working on a milled, more stable replica. The good news: The spare parts supply is getting better and better.
The Montreal was always in the shadow of the Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. Accordingly, it was traded cheaply as a used car - and thus often fell into the hands of financially weak fans. The maintenance was thus often neglected, sustaining work fell on many specimens thrifty or completely. Meanwhile, these Montreal have almost disappeared, since the restoration of such copies would have been economic mischief. Well-groomed cars therefore determine the very clear offer, where the devil may well be in the detail. State-3 Montreal today cost about 20,000 euros not much for a real Diva!!
